New life for Southgate Skate Center
The long-closed roller link has been rebranded as the Southgate Event Center (website here), with a weekend swap meet starting October 4th-5th.
Tags: southgate
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September 22nd, 2008 at 7:50 pm
I am interested to know what the occupancy is for this facility, and will alcohol be served at events. The very last thing we need in White Center is an event venue that will bring in more people on weekend nights. The area already is struggling with the bars and clubs that operate here. On the surface, this just does not seem like a good idea.
September 22nd, 2008 at 10:56 pm
From their website:
“Conferences, large meetings, weddings, birthday parties, concerts, and more. Our unique philosophy is to allow the client to do as much of their event planning, set up, breakdown as they wish, to save them money, OR we can offer you a more full-service experience. You decide! We’re here to accomodate, whatever your preference and budget will allow.”
Sounds like some pretty wild stuff, we’d better watch out for those renegade conference attendees and wedding parties.
My two bits – I’m thrilled that this isn’t being torn down and has been re-purposed so that it can stay intact. I’m going to send the link to a friend of mine now, as they are planning their wedding and still searching for a venue. It sounds like a good deal and a flexible facility – the being able to bring your own caterer is a hard thing to find these days.
September 22nd, 2008 at 11:04 pm
P.S. I love swap meets! So cool to have one in the neighborhood. I’ll be there!
September 23rd, 2008 at 12:00 am
I am not that concerned with this place bringing in a huge influx of people on the weekends. I am concerned that the owner and event promoters are going to be responsible. The bars don’t really bring in any more people on a Saturday night then they do on a wed morning. If the dance club would stick to their capacity, there wouldn’t really be an issue. The dance club does not serve alcohol most of the time, but since they regularly have about 1000 people over their capacity, there is a fair amount of drinking in parking lots and alleys.
The bars on 16th will serve people till they literally fall outta their stools. Last week I saw a guy leave the bar next to me, get in his truck and run over the pedestrian warning sign at the cross walk. The crowd out side of the bar cheered him on. A week before that the paramedics came to revive a woman that had fallen out of her stool and hit her head because she was so drunk. it was 10:30 IN THE MORNING.
That is not to say that all the drinking establishments are like that in the area. I have seen Mac at the Triangle cut many people off when they have had to much. It is not that there are bars in the area, or dance clubs. It is that there are irresponsible club and bar owners in the area. It would be helpful if the sheriff and fire departments put more pressure on the owners to be more accountable.
September 23rd, 2008 at 8:20 am
A swamp meet how cool and it’s indoors! Finally – a space to hold events. We were long over due for that.
I agree with fulltilt, the bar owners need to be held more accountable. The majority couldn’t care less as long as they are taking your money – they will serve you till you drop. I have seen it too many times.
I would definitely rather see people coming in on the weekend for events like a swamp meet verses seeing people in the alley’s drinking and running over signs that we pay for.
September 23rd, 2008 at 8:53 am
If the price were just a little cheaper and the hours just a tiny bit earlier, the community orchestra (Orchestra of Flight) I play with would consider renting that place for our annual dinner/fundraiser concert next year. We’ve been having it at the Eagle’s Aerie in Georgetown for the last few years but that building is for sale now.
White Center – Classical Music? It could happen.
September 23rd, 2008 at 12:58 pm
Anyone can file a complaint with the WA State Liquor Control Board about overservice or any other violations and they they even take anonymous complaints. Here’s info on how to do that.
http://www.liq.wa.gov/enforcement/report_violation.asp
It seems like if a few people complained, espeically those who observe violations it would likely result in the agent assigned to the White Center area to do more enforcement.
September 23rd, 2008 at 1:33 pm
Well…over-serving happens everywhere all the time. Take a little trip up to Cap Hill if you wanna see hundreds of over-served totally wasted kids.
White Center needs more people there at night time not less. More foot traffic would do wonders for the bars, restaurants and other businesses. Not only that but this will be a really cool place to get to know the community.
This is a huge opportunity to White Center and Highland Park to step up and put together some great activities. There are already lots of swap meets or craft/fashion fair like this in Seattle proper. This is super exciting…
Time to get started on a music festival!
September 23rd, 2008 at 6:30 pm
I am about to post word of an Alcohol Impact Area proposed for WC … stand by for the post …. just got the note from County Councilmember Dow Constantine’s office.
September 23rd, 2008 at 10:56 pm
Over serving does happen all the time, but I have just seen way to many people barely able to navigate a side walk leave one of the bars on 16th and get into a car. Sure it happens every where, but that does not mean it needs to. Responsible bar owners can help curb that.
September 23rd, 2008 at 10:57 pm
Oh and I am so freakin stoked for a swap meet. I wonder how good the first one is going to be since there has been little advertising for it. I just hope they keep it up. I have fond memories of LA swap meets with my parents.
September 23rd, 2008 at 10:59 pm
Margl, I would email them. Normally the price of a venue is not written in stone. This place has been unused for a long time. I am sure they could use some money.
September 23rd, 2008 at 11:02 pm
I’ve got major memories of swap meets with the family in my kidhood too. They used to always be held at old drive-in theaters in the daytime … nice way to use space that otherwise went unused that time of day. These guys are plugging it on CL already and that’ll spread the word to the bargainhunters. Meantime, I’ve got an appointment to talk with them before the week’s out so any questions that arise here in the comment-thread, I’ll take along, to get answers!
September 24th, 2008 at 5:31 am
The first swap meet weekends are bound to be light, but I think it will grow pretty quickly. The old Midway swap meet was huge and maybe some of those folks will come over.